Daughter seeks cure for dad’s rare eye disease

Jim Wilson, of Mount Avenue in Morecambe, whose daughter Susan is taking part in a walk to raise funds into research to help cure the rare eye disease which caused Jim's blindness. PIC BY ROB LOCK 10-4-2017

A devoted daughter will put her best foot forward to help find a cure for a rare eye condition which caused her dad to go blind.

Susan Wilson will do a sponsored seven mile walk to raise cash to fight retinitus pigmentosa – an inherited condition of the eye that leads to loss of vision and blindness.

Susan’s dad, retired solicitor Jim Wilson, was born with the disease and has had a vision problem since his early teens.

The condition began with a loss of night and peripheral vision.

“It was manageable for many years and he was able to work,” said Susan, who lives with and cares for her dad in Bare.

“However just before he retired the vision became a real problem to such an extent in the last year he has gone blind.”

Jim, 85, describes his condition as like “looking at a white maze all day every day”.

Drama teacher Susan and two friends will walk from the Strawberry Gardens in Heysham to the Royal pub at Bolton-le-Sands on May 6 to raise money for the RP Society.

This charity aims to stimulate and support high quality medical research into retinitis pigmentosa and related conditions, and find treatments for the condition.

“The RP Society has made inroads into the disease and has now changed its philosophy from not if they will find treatment or cure, but when,” said Susan. “Obviously this takes money. I want to do a challenge to raise money in the hope my father and others will be helped.”